SPECIFY HIGH-QUALITY DIN RAIL ENCLOSURES FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE

DIN RAIL ENCLOSURES: WHY QUALITY MATTERS

Quality is crucial when it comes to DIN rail enclosures because the cost of failure can be disproportionately high. Yes, DIN rail enclosures are commonplace – so much so that you could be forgiven for getting a bit blasé when specifying them – but quality will always matter in the end.

If a poor-quality DIN rail enclosure in a control panel were to fail, the consequences could be expensive – especially if it were to trigger a safety alert that shuts down production. The resulting costs do not bear thinking about.

Failure to specify the correct ingress protection rating for a DIN rail enclosure can affect monitoring systems in particular. Water ingress can corrode terminal blocks – comprising sensor readings and triggering system alarms.

And it can be a false economy to specify overly skinny DIN rail enclosures in high-density lighting control cabinets. Simply relying on friction fit (rather than internal PCB supports) risks PCBs warping due to excessive heat and becoming dislodged from their connectors. This could cause lights to turn on or off unexpectedly – leading to expensive diagnostics sessions and an equally costly retrofit with better units.

EIGHT KEY QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN SPECIFYING DIN RAIL ENCLOSURES

1. How good are the materials?

Low-grade plastics can become brittle over time, especially in high-temperature environments. This fragility can lead to cracks or structural failure. But you’re unlikely to see this until it’s too late because the enclosures will be tucked away in a cabinet.

2. Are the rail clips strong enough?

Poor-quality rail clips may not provide sufficient grip, causing the enclosure to loosen or fall off. Sadly, weak clips are a common failure point in poor-quality enclosures. Overly soft plastics, inadequate clip tension and imprecise moulding tolerances are the usual causes.

3. Is the ingress protection sufficient?

Enclosures installed in cabinets that lack sufficient ingress protection (IP54 or higher) may fall victim to dust or moisture – risking short circuits, corrosion or sensor malfunctions.

4. Is there enough ventilation?

Enclosures without proper ventilation or material conductivity can lead to heat build-up – damaging internal components or reducing their lifespan. Electrolytic capacitors are especially vulnerable to elevated temperatures and may lose capacitance or leak over time if consistently run hot.

5. Is the certification correct?

Some budget enclosures do not meet standards such as UL 94 V-0 (for flame retardancy) or EN 60715 (for DIN rail compatibility) – increasing fire or compliance risks.

6. Can they handle the components?

Cheap or poorly designed enclosures may have insufficient internal volume or lack features such as PCB guides or mounting pillars. This can complicate the layout or cause fit issues.

7. Is there proper customisation support?

If enclosures can’t be swiftly machined or adapted for connectors, displays or buttons, you may be forced into awkward workarounds or higher modification costs.

8. Is the supply chain reliable?

Sourcing DIN rail enclosures from unknown or unverified vendors may result in lead time issues, inconsistent quality or difficulty in obtaining replacement units in future.

RAILTEC B DIN RAIL ENCLOSURES

OKW’s tried-and-trusted RAILTEC B DIN rail enclosures can be mounted quickly and easily on TH35 rails. These tough, dependable enclosures are moulded from PC (UL 94 V-0) for added strength.

This popular range now features a new variant. Smart new RAILTEC BP M22 enables you to house and protect individual devices. With pluggable front and side panels, new BP M22 gives you plenty of options. It’s available with a choice of three different side panel configurations:

• fully closed
• with ventilation on one side
• with ventilation on two sides.

Plug headers – maximum 1 or 2 x 16-pin, 5.08, fixed or pluggable and other connections – can be fitted to the closed sides. BP M22 will also accommodate other connections, such as USB. Plug headers, spare front and side panels can be ordered as accessories. There is also a transparent hinged cover to protect the front, controls, connectors and lighting elements. The 95 x 23 x 113 mm enclosures have been designed to standard industrial sizes, making them compatible and interchangeable with other housings.

Other RAILTEC B variants include:

• Version I and XI  for PCB terminal blocks (5.0/5.08 mm pitch)
• Version II and XII for plug headers (5.0/5.08 mm pitch)
• Version III and XIII – closed case for front connectors, D-SUB connectors
• Version IV for PCB terminal blocks (5.0/5.08 mm pitch)
• Version V with knockout perforations (5.0 mm pitch)
• Version VI – open case for fitting different combinations of terminal guards and partition plate (optionally one or two connection levels).

Accessories include front panels (light grey, red transparent, smoked glass), side panels, terminal blocks, plug headers, terminal guards, partition plates, wall suspension elements, transparent lids and a KNX cover. 

View the RAILTEC B range >>

SPECIFY CUSTOMISED DIN RAIL ENCLOSURES

We can supply DIN rail enclosures fully customised, ready for the installation of components. Our in-house services include machining, lacquering, decor foils, printing of legends, logos and graphics, and installation/assembly of accessories.

We can also laser mark your DIN rail enclosures. This is ideal for individual labelling with very small machine-readable markings – such as QR codes, barcodes and DataMatrix codes – and consecutive numbering.

View OKW’s customisation services >>

GET EXPERT ADVICE ON DIN RAIL ENCLOSURES

Contact OKW for expert technical advice on which DIN rail enclosure would be best for your electronic devices. Discover how easy it is to specify the ideal standard or customised housing for your device.

Request a sample >>

Download a 3D model (X_T, STP, SAT) of your preferred model – see how your PCBs will look in your finished enclosure.

Log in or register >>